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Wednesday, May 8, 2019

A permit was filed Monday with the City of Atlanta and while it does not explicitly state who it is for, it sounds a lot like the planned expansion/relocation of a certain electronics retailer named for a common fruit that is said to keep the doctor away.

The permit, named "RETAIL STORE LENOX MALL" is described as "TENANT IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING LEASED SPACE FOR NEW RETAIL STORE."

The permit further describes the space as spanning some 21,381 square feet, in line with what ToNeTo Atlanta reported was Apple's likely expanded footprint. The current Apple store at Lenox Square is 8,183 square feet. Other media previously inaccurately reported that the store would be in excess of 28,000 square feet, seemingly assuming that the recently reopened Anthropolgie was in fact not reopening.

Last weekend, standard SIMON barricades were installed on both the first and second floors of the Buckhead mall around the spaces we previously identified as those included in the expansion. The barricades make no mention of exactly what's coming, only a vague reference to an "exciting flagship store" coming soon.

Apple is notoriously secretive about new locations and mall owner Simon is likely restricted from commenting on their relocation/expansion within Lenox Square. Preliminary work is said to have started weeks ago and given plans for the store's front facade were approved months ago, there is reason to believe the new store could be open late this fall, in time for the holiday shopping season.

If the Apple store does open as planned, it will do so with new scrutiny on the store experience. A report Tuesday by Bloomberg entitled "How the Apple Store Lost Its Luster" suggests that "brand building" became more important than serving shoppers. The report comes on the heels of the firm's Retail Chief Angela Ahrendts' departure from Apple, which was announced in February and effective in April.

Apple, of course, is not the only store expanding in the mall. Fast fashion retailer Zara is also expanding its already large store in the mall - currently about 10,000 square feet - to a planned roughly 30,000 square foot flagship that will feature a wider variety of clothing for the family as well as introduce the brand's home line to the Atlanta market.

In addition to Apple and Zara, permits were filed Tuesday for Capital One Cafe, the financial institution's new banking + cafe concept. ToNeTo Atlanta exclusively reported on the bank's planned debut at Lenox Square this past February, but this is the first permit known to have been filed with the City of Atlanta related to work at the space. As we reported in February, the new Capital One Cafe will open in place of Panera, which closed its location in the mall this past December. UPDATE: The unnamed "retail store" filed an additional permit on May 17 --- "TENANT IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING LEASED SPACE FOR NEW RETAIL STORE. SAP -18 -179 ADDING STRUCTURAL PIERS TO SUPPORT NEW GLASS M METAL PANEL ROOFING AND PARA PET , NEW GLASS STOREFRONT."

Progress on the space at the front of the mall - 5/19

The permit indicates that the cost of construction is $7.82 million.

Are you excited about the planned Apple expansion at Lenox Square? What other retailers would you like to see open at Lenox Square? What model of phone do you currently use?